Washing machine



L. 'ZIMARIK WASHING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1940 Oct. 26, 1943.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mun m ii v INVENTOR.

LOUIS ZIMARIK A TTO EYS.

| ZIMARIK 2,332,769

WASHING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 26, 1943- UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machines, and particularly to so-called shell-less washers, and has for itsobject a washing machine in which all the washing liquid is utilized or active at all times during the washing operation, or a washing machine in which there is no outer shell acting as a sump or tank from which the water is carried and to which it is returned through perforations in the washing container or drum.

' It further has for its object a dump valve arrangement by which all the fluid can be quickly dumped from the container without leaving a pool of liquid in the container.

It further has for its object an arrangement of the dump valves in the hollow ribs of the container with means for operating said valves.

It further has for its object mears by which the washing fluid is also filled into the container through the hollow ribs as Well as dumped from the container through the hollow ribs.

Other objects appear throughout the specification.

By washing machine" it is meant any machine for cleaning clothes, articles, cloth, fabric, leather, textiles, etc., or any machine in which articles are subjected to treatment by a fluid, as for instance, water, water with a solvent or other agent or chemical, dry cleaning, rinsing, tanning, dyeing fluids, and/or heating and drying fluids, etc; For brevitys sake, the machine will be referred to hereinafter as a washing machine and the operation as washing."

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a washing machine embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken transversely through one of the internal ribs.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view looking upwardly in Figure 3.

This washing machine comprises, generally, an imperforate liquid or fluid and article containor or drum operable about a horizontal axis and having a loading and unloading door, and also having an annular series of outlet openings located a radial distance from its axis at least equal to the greatest internal diameter of the container or drum, so that the liquid in the container completely drains from the container through the opening that happens to be lowermost, if the container is drained while stationary, and through the openings, as they approach their lowermost positions, when the container or drum is rotating, the valves are operable to open and close the openings, mechanism for actuating the container about its axis, means for operating the valves simultaneously, and preferably an annular trough around the annular series of valves to receive the liquid therefrom, when the valves are open, this trough having an open discharge outlet at its lowermost side.

I designates the container, which is cylindrical in general form and has heads 2, 3 at its opposite ends, the head 3 at one end having a load-. ing and unloading door it which has an opening and closing movement, the door 3 and its mounting forming no part of this invention, and in so far as this invention is concerned, the loading and unloading door may be of any suitable construction and in any suitable location. The head 2 is a manifold through which a fluid or liquid is supplied to the interior of the drum through internal ribs, as will be hereinafter described.

The drum or container I usually is rotated a certain number of turns in one direction, and then a certain number of turns in the other direction, this alternate operation repeated over the entire washing or treatment period. The

drum is supported and actuated in any suitable manner. It is here shown as actuated by a pair of electric motors 4 mounted on a suitable base 5 and connected through couplings as 6. to shafts 1 extending lengthwise of opposite sides of the container or drum I, the shafts being provided with rollers 8 coacting with peripheral track ways 9 at the end zones of the cylindrical container l. The motors are reversible motors, and it will be understood that there is one for each shaft 1. When the motors are rotating in one direction, the drum or container is being turned in one direction, and when the motors are reversed, the drum or container i is rotated in the opposite direction. The rollers 8 are of rubber material and through their traction on the track ways 9, actuate the drum or container I. The drum or container I rests on the rollers, as seen in Figure 2.

The outlet openings are preferably formed in the peripheral circumferential wall of the drum or container i and also preferably in the intermediate zone thereof between the track ways 9,

and are here shown as mounted at II in cages or boxes I2 secured to the periphery of the cirrows of dump valves, as best seen in Figure l,

located in the central zone of the drum or container I between the track ways 9. I1 designate the dump valves, one for each opening II or cage I2, these having stems I8 slidable in suitable guides I9, which are supported in the cage I2 by webs (Figure 4), these guides being spaced apart from the walls of the cage I2 to provide an outlet for the water into the trough to be presently described. The pin I8 prevents the valve I1 and stem I8 from rotation, The valves open inwardly relative to the axis of the container, and hence the holding of the valves against their seats is augmented by the centrifugal action of the rotating container.

2i designates internal ribs, these, in the illusirated embodiment of the invention, extending lengthwise of the circumferential wall of the container and being formed hollow and with two lengthwise passages, one for the liquid when being dumped and the other for the liquid being filled into the container I. These hollow ribs are arranged over or radially with the dump passages II of the cage I2 and over the openings I6 in the cylindrical wall of the container and are triangular in general form in cross-section.

' Each is provided with base flanges 22 by means of which the ribs are secured to the container by the same fastening members I3 that secure the cages I2 to the container. The opposite side walls of the ribs are formed with passages or perforations 23 opening into the container, so that when the valves H are open, the liquid can pass into the interior of the ribs and out through the passage I I. The draining operation is usually performed when the drum is rotating, and therefore, in order to prevent the flow of liquid through the hollow ribs through the perforations 23 on one side and out through the perforations 23 on the other, means is provided for baflling or deflecting the liquid during dumping operation, this means being here shown as a baffle 24 extending lengthwise of each rib and diametrically across the valves I1 but terminating short of the valves, in order to give the valves opening clearance, so that the liquid passing through the perforations 23 on one side, during the rotation of the drum in one direction, strikes the baiile plate and is deflected radially outward past the open valve l1, and when the rotation reverses, the water passing through the perforations 23 on the other side likewise strikes the bafiie 24 and is deflected out radially throughthe open valve controlled opening I I. The bafile plate is carried by a base plate 25 suitably secured in the ribs to form a lengthwise partition dividing it into two passages, one being the outlet passage into which the openings II open, and the other being a passage 26 for the incoming liquid or fluid. The inner 0r apex edge of the rib is rounding and formed with perforations 21 for permitting liquid passing through the passage 28 to pass directly into the interior of the drum or container I. These passages 21 communicate at like ends with the interior of the head 2 which is a manifold communicating with all the passages 26 and which communicates with an intake pipe 28 arranged coaxially with the axis of rotation of the container I. The connection or thepipe 28 with a source of supply of fluid forms no part of this invention. However. it may be stated, that the fluid, as to character and quantity, may be prepared in an outside tank, not shown, and of sufficient capacity to fill the container I to the desired level for the particular washing" operation. The ribs are used to conduct or circulate any and. various fluids or liquids to and from the interior of the casing. In some cases, a heating fluid as steam 'or heated air may be used.

The location of the dump valves in the wide intermediate zone of .the container greatly facilitates the dumping operation, especially during the rotation of the drum, as the fluid being dumped takes the shortest paths from all parts of the container to the dump valves and the fluid in the end portions of the container travels a relative short axial distance through the ribs to the dump valves, without soaking or passing through articles in the intermediate portion. This dumping feature during rotation also eliminates the settling of sediment and scum on the articles during dumping.

30 designates a trough which has an outlet 3| into a suitable drain, the trough being stationary and encircling the intermediate zone of the container I, that is, the zonein which the outlet or dump valves are located. 30" designates a packing ring to prevent fluid from escaping from the outlet trough 30 and hamperingthe operation of the machine. It is provided with a suitable door 32 for permitting inspection, cleaning and repairing of the valves. The trough is suitably supported on the base 5. As here illustrated, suitable shields 33 are carried by the trough for covering the end zones or track ways 9 of the container I. However, neither the trough nor the shields perform the function oi a casing for a washing liquid, and the entire washing operation takes place within the drum or container I.

The valves are operated by pressure devices here shown as diaphragms 34 interposed between the end of each guide I8 and a cap 35 for the guide I9, the diaphragms pressing against a suitable seat 36 at the end of the valve stem I8. The movement of the valve by the diaphragm is against the action of a spring 31 thrusting at one end against the seat 35 and at its other end against the guide I9. Each of the diaphragm chambers 35 is connected to a suitable source of pressure fluid, as air, for instance through a header pipe 38 rotatable with the container I and having branches 39 respectively to the diaphragm chambers and a feed pipe 40 also rotatable with the container I and connected to the header and having an axial portion 4| coaxial with the axis of the container I and connected through a suitable swivel or connection 42 to a source of compressed air. The axial section 4| also extends coaxially of the intake liquid pipe 28.

In operation, a suitable valve connected in the pipe 28 is opened to permit the fluid or liquid to flow into the container I into the passage 26 of the hollow ribs. This operation can be performed either while the container is stationary 'by the valves i1.

or rotating, usually while it is rotating. With the motors operating, the container or drum is rotated through the shafts and rollers 8 a predetermined number of times in one direction, and a predetermined number of times 'in the opposite direction, and during these rotative operations, the articles are tumbled or agitated in the washing liquid. When the washing cycle is completed, a suitable valve in the air pipe 4| is open, permitting compressed air to enter the pressure chambers or caps 35, thus causing the diaphragms 34 to open the valves ll radially inward against the action of the springs 31; thus the container l is rotating either in one direction or the other while the valves H are open, and hence when rotating in a clockwise direction (Figure 3) the liquid passes through the perforations 23 on the left sides of the ribs and strikes-the baiiie plates 24 and is deflected radially out through the openings ll controlled When the container is rotating in the other direction or anticlockwise, the liquid passes from the container through the openings 23 on the right hand side of the ribs against the deflector 24 and radially out through the openings II from the openings II or the cages l2 the liquid dumps out through the trough 30. The dumping operation is thus augmented by the centrifugal force on the liquid in the container. Any liquid thrown out centrifugally through the valves during rotation is caught by the trough and runs into outlet 35.

By this construction, all the liquid is completely drained from the container I, and there is no pool left in the container. The container also may be drained while stationary by opening the valves but the liquid will drain only through the valves below the fluid level, as the fluid level recedes. The controls for the liquid passing through the pipes 28 and the control valves for the air into the pipe 4|, the loading and unloading door and the actuating mechanism including the reversible motors 4, shaft 1 and rotor's 8, form no part of this invention, but constitute the subject matter of other applications.

What I claim is:

1. A washing machine comprising an imperiorate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis and having a loading and unloading door, the container being formed with internal hollow ribs formed with passages opening into the interior of the container and with outlet valve openings opening into the hollow ribs, valves operable to open and close said openings, mechanism for operating the container about its axis, and means for operating the valves.

2. A washing machine comprising an imperiorate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis and having a loading and unloading door, the container being formed with internal hollow ribs formed with passages opening into the interior of the container and with outlet valve openings opening into the hollow ribs, valves operable to open and close said openings, mechanism for operating the container about its axis, and means for operating the valves, said ribs extending lengthwise of the in-' ner circumferential wall of the container, and the valve controlled outlet openings opening through the peripheral wall of the container into the bases of the hollow ribs.

3. A washing machine comprising an imperiorate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis and having a loading and unloading door, the container being formed with internal hollow ribs formed with passages opening into the interior of the container and with outlet valve openings opening into the hollow ribs, valves operable to open and close said openings, mechanism for operating ,the container about its axis, and means foroperating the valves, said ribs extending lengthwise of the inner circumferential wall of the container, and the valve controlled outlet openings opening through the peripheral wall of the container into the bases of the hollow ribs, in the intermediate zone of the circumferential wall of the container substantially equidistant from the ends of the container, said valves opening radially inward relatively to theaxis of the container.

4. Av washing machine comprising an imperforate fluid. and article container operable about a horizontal axis and having a loading and unloading door and also having an annular series of outlet openings, valves operable to open and close the openings, mechanism for operating the container about its axis, and means for operating' the valves including pressure-operated devices individual to the valves, a header common to all the pressure-operated devices and connected thereto, and a feed pipe therefor rotatable with the container, the feed pipe being connected to the header.

5. A washing machine comprising an imperforate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis and having a loading and unloading door and also having an annular series of outlet openings located a radial distance from the axis at least equal to the greatest internal radius of the container, whereby the fluid in the container completely drains from the container through the lowermost opening, valves operable to open and close the openings, mechanism for operating the container about its axis, and means for operating the valves including pressure-operated devices individual to the .valves, a header common to the pressure-operated' devices and connected thereto, and a feed pipe therefor rotatable with the container, the feed pipe being connectedto the header and having an axial portion coaxial with the axis of the container for connection to a source of supply of pressure fluid.

6. A washing machine comprising an imperforate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis and being alternately movable first in one direction and then in the other about its axis, the container being formed with internal hollow ribs formed with passages opening into the interior of the container through opposite sides of the ribs and with outlet valve openings opening into the hollow ribs through the bases thereof, valves operable to open and closefisaid openings, mechanism for operating the container about its axis, means for operating the valves. and means for deflecting the water through the valves, when open, when the container is rotat-' ing in either direction and preventing the passage of the liquid when the valve is open through .the ribs from one side thereof and out the other.

'7. A washing machine comprising an imperforate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis and being alternately movable first in one direction and then in the other about its axis, the container being formed with internal hollow ribs formed with passages opening into the interior of the container through opposite sides of the ribs and with outlet valve openings opening into the hollow ribs through the bases thereof, valves operable to open and close said openings, mechanism for operating the container about its axis, means for operating the valves, and means within the hollow ribs for deflecting he water through the valves, when open, when the container is rotating in either direction and preventing the passage of the liquid when the valve is open through the ribs from one side thereof and out the other, said deflecting means including a baflle plate extending between the sides of the ribs crosswise of the valves and terminating short thereof.

8. A washing machine comprising an imperforate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis first in one direction and then in the other direction, and having a loading and unloading door, the container being formed with extending lengthwise means for opening'and closing the valves, means for supplying the liquid 'to the'con-tainer through the lengthwise apex passages of the ribs, and means for preventing, the flow of liquid transversely through the ribs when the valves are open.

9. A washing machine comprising an imperiorate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis .and formed with peripheral outlet openings spaced apart around the circumference thereof, valves operable to open and close said openings, and a stationary trough extending around the portion of the container in which the valve openings are located and arranged to receive the fluid passed through the openings, when the valves are open and during rotation of the container, mechanism for operating the container about its axis, and means for opening and closing the valves, whereby when the valves are open, the fluid thrown centrifugally out of the container during the rotation thereof is received by the trough.

10. A Washing machine comprising an imperforate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis and having an annular series of outlet openings in the peripheral wall thereof, valve casings carried by the peripheral wall on the outer side thereof and having seats in said openings, valve members coacting with said seats, said valve members being openable radially inward relatively to the container, whereby the fluid completely drains from the'container augmented by the centrifugal action of the container, and a stationary trough enclosing the portion of the container in which the outlet openings are provided.

11. A washing machine comprising an imperforate fluid and article container operable about a horizontal axis and having an annular series of outlet openings in the peripheral wall thereof, valves carried by and rotatable with the container and closing said openings at the points where they open through the peripheral wall of the container, mechanism for operating the container about its axis, the container having internal hollow ribs, the ribs having openings into the interior of the container, and said. valve openings opening into the hollow ribs.

LOUIS ZIMARIK. 

